Applying for a standard rules permit saves you time and money. Before you apply you need to be aware of some important characteristics:

you cannot vary the rules and you have no right of appeal against them

if you want to change your operations so a standard permit no longer works for your operation you’ll have to apply to make it a bespoke permit instead

if there is a change in your local environment after your permit has been issued (for example due to a change in the definition of a groundwater source protection zone), you may need to upgrade the operation to a standard sufficient for the changed environment, or change to a bespoke permit

Water discharges

The annual permit fee (‘subsistence’) for standard water discharge permits starts from the date the permit is issued, so you shouldn’t apply for a permit significantly ahead of when it’s required.

As well as the 2 standard permits listed in this section, standard permit SR2008No27 (mobile plant for the treatment of soils and contaminated material, substances or products) can also apply to water discharges, although it’s listed in recovery or use of waste on land. Check whether you qualify for that permit too.

There are currently no standard rules permits for sewage effluent to ground or groundwater.

Document information

2 December 2015
List of amended and new rules sets for publication post Standard Rule No 12 consultation

9 December 2014
New document added under onshore oil and gas exploration - SR2014 no 2: the management of extractive waste.
New document added under keeping/transfer of waste - SR2013 no 1: treatment of 100 t/y of clinical and healthcare waste.